NAMIBIA, along with Uganda and Kenya, remained unbeaten after day two, at the ICC Africa U19 Cricket World Cup Qualifiers.
Namibia’s young cricketers comprehensively beat neighbours Zambia at the Wanderers Oval in Windhoek. Zambia won the toss and elected to bowl, however they were restricted to 158 all out. Stephan Baard was the pick of the Namibian bowlers with 4 for 35 in six overs. The run chase began in earnest with Namibia on 80 for 1 at the lunch break. They passed the target in the 32nd over with seven wickets in hand. Justin Baard starred with the willow and scored 45 off 36 balls.The Ugandan team, last year’s winners, continued their winning ways with victory over fellow east Africans Tanzania. Uganda impressively bowled their opposition out for under a hundred for the second day running, with prized bowler Faruk Ochimi taking four Tanzanian wickets for 20 runs. The Tanzanian attack hardly troubled the Ugandans, who knocked the target off in 16 overs. Kenya were given a run for their money after losing the toss and sent in to bat at the CCD oval against Sierra Leone. The Kenyans were bowled out in the last over of their innings, with Sierra Leone set 177 to win. However Joseph Ochieng scored a half century of 95 balls to rescue the Kenyans, as Sierra Leone soon found themselves in trouble at 149 for 7. Kenya bowled them all out for 157, although Ibrahim Mansaray and Ibrahim Kabbia weighed in with 47 and 56 respectively. Kenya won by 20 runs.In the match of the day, Nigeria scored a surprise win over Botswana. Botswana won the toss and elected to bat, and scored a satisfactory 182 for 9 in their 50 overs. Nigeria, in pursuit of the target, were hopelessly out of the game after the 30th over at 93 for 7. However, a fighting seventh wicket partnership of 68 saw them recover to win by two wickets.
